Maestro: Independent Classical Spotlight

Happy new year listeners. Welcome to indie classical spotlight. Today’s episode we will be playing several sonata pieces from our classical collection. After 35 years of success the world over, including many award-winning recordings and newly commissioned works, the Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio continues to dazzle audiences and critics alike with their performances.The Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio, Joseph Kalichstein, Jaime Laredo, Sharon Robinson "Trio in B-flat Major, D. 898: I. Andante moderato" (mp3) from "Franz Schubert: The Piano Trios and Arpeggione Sonata" (Bridge Records, Inc.) More On This Album An Oregon native, Marcia Hadjimarkos received degrees in piano performance and French literature from the University of Iowa. She has been devoted to the fortepiano and clavichord since the 1980s, and studied with Jos van Immerseel at the Paris Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique in 1993-94.Marcia Hadjimarkos "16 Deutsche Tänze, D 783" (mp3) from "Franz Schubert: Sonata & Dances for Fo

Happy Holidays listeners! To observe the holiday season, we will be playing 6 holiday tracks from our classical collection. The London Fox Players "Deck The Halls" (mp3) from "Christmas - Woodwind" (Classic Fox Records) Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This AlbumParthenia / A Consort of Viols "Pavans, Galliards, Almains and other short Aeirs" (mp3) from "As It Fell on a Holie Eve - Music for an Elizabethan Christmas" (MSR Classics) More On This AlbumStile Antico "Ave Maria" (mp3) from "Puer Natus Est - Tudor Music for Advent and Christmas" (harmonia mundi) Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This AlbumThe Sixteen, Harry Christophers "Masters in this Hall" (mp3) from "A Traditional Christmas Carol Collection from The Sixteen, Vol. II" (Coro) Buy at iTunes Music Store More On This AlbumElaine Funaro "A Baroque Christmas" (mp3) from "Harpsichord at the Holidays: Christmas Carols Past and Present" (Arabesque Recordings) Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This AlbumJohanni van Oostrum, Metropole Orchestra, Dick Bakker, Ockert Vermeule

This month we have a very exciting feature. We will be celebrating the 10th year of the recording label CORO which was established in 2001. Bringing together live concerts and recording plans has allowed The Sixteen to develop a glittering catalogue which now boasts over ninety releases, spanning six hundred years of sacred choral music from the earliest plainsong through to contemporary composers such as James MacMillan.The back-catalogue contains some of the most magnificent choral works ever written including Handel’s Messiah, Allegri’s Miserere, Fauré’s Requiem and Tallis’s Spem in Alium - all of which are best sellers. Added to this list are the entire Eton Choirbook, Bach’s Mass in B minor and Victoria’s Requeim of 1605 all of which have received critical acclaim worldwide. Many of the CDs on CORO are award-winners and many more have been nominated for awards. The accolades include a MIDEM Award, two Gramophone Awards, three Diapason d’Or and four Schallplattenkritiks as well as two Grammy® nominations.

Bridge Records was founded in 1981 by the classical guitarist David Starobin, and his wife, the violinist, Becky Starobin. The company celebrates its 30th anniversary with a catalog of more than 400 CD and DVDs, as well as a music publishing arm and an artist management division. Both of the Starobin's children, Robert Starobin and Allegra Starobin, work for the company, as well as a staff of engineers, designers and allied personnel. Bridge now issues between 35 to 40 discs per year, across a broad spectrum of classical music, contemporary music and jazz. The Washington Post wrote that "Bridge is a company with a highly selectiveand consistently excellent catalog". It is this selectivity that has led to 25 Grammy nominations and numerous awards from the international critical press. New Orford String Quartet "String Quartet No. 15 in G Major, D. 887, Op. 161: I. Allegro molto moderato" (mp3) from "New Orford String Quartet performs Schubert and Beethoven" (Bridge Records, Inc.) Buy at Amazon MP3 More On Thi

Today we will be showcasing some of Beethoven's symphonies, including two tracks from our very special featured release from Avie Records titled "Beethoven: Symphony Nos 6 and 8" performed by Manchester Camerata and Douglas Boyd.Brno Philharmonic Orchestra, Peter Tiboris "Symphony No. 9, Op. 125 in D Minor -1895 Gustav Mahler Edition: III. Adagio molto e cantabile" (mp3) from "Beethoven's 9th Symphony: 1895 Gustav Mahler Orchestration" (Bridge Records, Inc.) Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This AlbumMahler’s grand expansion of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony employs an extra 4 horns and an extra set of Timpani, revoicing many passages of the venerable masterpiece. Mahler adds occasional counter-melodies and thickens the scoring in order to create his own heightened dynamic scale. Of his own performances of this re-scoring, Mahler wrote: "Far from following any arbitrary purpose or course, but also without allowing himself to be led astray by tradition, (this conductor) was constantly and solely concerned with carrying

This month on Maestro Independent Classical Spotlight we have a selection of four Romantic Period pieces from our classical collection. Amber Yiu Hsuan Liao"Piano Sonata No.18 in E-flat major, Op.31, No.3" (mp3) from "Beethoven: Piano Sonata No.18; Granados: Goyescas; Schumann: Humoreske" (MSR Classics) Buy at iTunes Music Store More On This AlbumThe three pieces in this recording were all written during difficult times in the lives of their composers. Beethoven composed the E-flat major sonata in the same year he wrote the Heiligenstadt Testament. Goyescas was created shortly after Granados learned about both the death of his close friend Issac Albéniz, and the Tragic Week, a bloody confrontation between the working class of Barcelona and the army. When Schumann composed Humoreske, he was an aspiring composer trying to win the approval of Clara’s father, and was staying in Vienna away from home and his beloved. It is touching to hear how the composers rose above the pain, anxiety and desperation in their li

Today's episode will be centered around Opera Works & Songs from our classical collection. We have 4 pieces for you today, and we will end with a piece from our featured release, "Donizetti: Lucia di Lammermoor." Nicolai Ghiaurov, Sesto Bruscantini, Alfredo Kraus, Gundula Janowitz, Sena Jurinac, Walter Monachesi, Dimitri Petkov, Olivera Miliakovic "Don Giovanni" (mp3) from "Mozart: Don Giovanni" (Opera d'Oro) Buy at Napster Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at Rhapsody Stream from Rhapsody Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This AlbumSteven Kimbrough, Wolfgang Schmid, Andreas Kreisel "Kommt wieder aus der finst'ren Gruft" (mp3) from "Geistliche Lieder - Sacred Songs of Bach (from the 1736 Songbook of Georg Schemelli)" (Arabesque Recordings) Buy at iTunes Music Store More On This AlbumInessa Galante, Vladimir Choclov, Janis Bulvas "A idise mame" (mp3) from "Goldins: Jewish Folk Songs - Rachmaninov: Romantic Songs" (Campion) Buy at Napster Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This AlbumValery Gergiev,

Welcome to the Maestro Classical Podcast. This is episode number 26 and we are featuring music from Joseph Haydn, with performances by the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, the Austro-Hungarian Haydn Orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra & Andreas Delfs. More information on this episode can be found at www.maestroclassical.com. Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, Nicholas McGegan"Symphony No. 88" from "Haydn: Symphonies Nos. 104, 88, 101" (Philharmonia Baroque) More On This AlbumMilwaukee Symphony Orchestra & Andreas Delfs "Haydn: Symphony No. 96" (mp3) from "Haydn: Symphony No. 96" (MSO Classics) Buy at Napster Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at eMusic Buy at Rhapsody Stream from Rhapsody Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This Album Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Thomas Beecham "Symphony No. 100 in G, 'Military'" from "Haydn: Symphonies No. 99 & 100" (Discover Classical Music) Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This AlbumAustro-Hungarian Haydn Orch

Welcome to Indie Classical Spotlight, where we feature independent classical artists, labels and composers. We have 5 pieces for you today, focusing on String Quartets. We also have a very special feature on the Hagen Quartett’s new anniversary album, “Hagen Quartett 30”. Each is a recent release from our classical collection. For more information please visit www.maestroclassical.com. Potomac String Quartet "String quartet No. 6" (mp3) from "Quincy Porter - String Quartets" (Albany Records) Buy at Napster Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at eMusic Buy at Rhapsody Stream from Rhapsody Buy at Puretracks Buy at Amazon MP3 Buy at mTraks More On This Album FIRST RECORDINGS OF THE COMPLETE WORKS FOR STRING QUARTET BY QUINCY PORTER. Like Charles Ives, Quincy Porter was a die-hard Connecticut Yankee from a well-to-do family with strong ties to Yale University. In fact, both studied composition under Horatio Parker at Yale. And both of them were staunchly patriotic and nationalistic, although Ives was the more radical

Welcome to Maestro Independent Classical Spotlight. On this episode we will be playing some pieces to celebrate the arrival of Spring. For more information on this episode, please read below.Carles Cases "Fotos" (mp3) from "Cine Español - vol.1 (Recomposed 6)" (Temps Record) Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This AlbumIt was during the nineties when Cases had more activity in the Panorama of Spanish Cinema. Many of those soundtracks were not edited in that moment, and now, using the same musicians as when he wrote them, he has made a reinterpretation of two movies: “Fotos” and “La Mujer de Mi Vida”.Emmanuel Rossfelder, Raphael Mata "Quintette G.448" (mp3) from "Danses pour Cordes - Works for Guitar & Cello" (Integral Classic) Buy at iTunes Music Store More On This AlbumFROM TEACHER TO STUDENT -
“My early artistic career was shaped by an extraordinary encounter with Alexandre Lagoya who was my teacher and the best mentor that I could ever have dreamt of having. Guidance is essential, bo

The Sixteen, Harry Christophers from "Monteverdi: Selva morale e spirituale, Vol. 1" (Coro) Buy at iTunes Music Store More On This Album Without doubt, Monteverdi was the greatest of the early baroque European composers. He revolutionized the music of the theater and the church by his dramatic and imaginative use of voices and instruments and by his daring harmonies and rhythms. Next to his Vespers of 1610, the Selva morale e spiritual of 1641 is his most significant and virtuosic collection of sacred music. Over the next few years we intend to record the complete publication with a variety of forces. His much performed Beatus vir is a mere appetizer for this delightful yet thrilling music.BYU Men's Chorus "Goin' Home" (mp3) from "The Pilgrim's Journey Home" (Tantara Records) Buy at iTunes Music Store More On This AlbumLift your spirits with a brand-new collection of inspirational folk hymns and songs. Although life may be difficult, the youthful and energetic voices of the BYU Combined Choirs and Orchestra

We have a few pieces selected for our Valentines Special. Enjoy and feel the love!Valery Gergiev, London Symphony Orchestra from "Prokofiev: Romeo & Juliet" (LSO Live) Buy at Napster Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This Album LSO Live celebrates its tenth anniversary in 2010. The label's first release of the year features Prokofiev's spectacular score for the ballet Romeo & Juliet conducted by Valery Gergiev. Romeo & Juliet can lay a strong claim to being the greatest ballet score as well as the finest musical realization of Shakespeare. It shows Prokofiev at the absolute peak of his powers - a composer of immense creativity with an astonishing ability to capture drama in his music. Gergiev is a tireless champion of Prokofiev's music. In 2004 he conducted a complete cycle of the composer's symphonies with the LSO. LSO Live recorded the performances which were released by Philips and collected a Gramophone Award. Shortly afterwards Gergiev became Principal Conductor of the LSO

Happy New Year! We want to celebrate the New Year by congratulating our Rightsholder for their Grammy nominations. To view a full listing of Grammy nominee, click here. Below we have what albums received which Grammy nomination. Enjoy the episode! Boston Modern Orchestra Project, Gil Rose, Rinde Eckert, Synergy Vocals, Catch Electric Guitar Quartet "Dreamhouse"from "Steven Mackey: Dreamhouse" (BMOP/sound) Buy at Napster Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This AlbumBest Engineered Album, ClassicalBest Classical AlbumBest Orchestral PerformanceValery Gergiev, Sergei Aleksashkin, Mariinsky Orchestra, Mariinsky Chorus "The Enchanted Wanderer"from "Shchedrin: The Enchanted Wanderer" (Mariinsky) Buy at Napster Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This AlbumBest Contemporary Classical CompositionBest Opera RecordingEliesha Nelson, John McLaughlin Williams"Speed Etude"from "Porter: Complete Viola Works" (Dorian Recordings) Buy at Napster Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at Rhapsody Stream

In this episode we wanted to celebrate the upcoming holidays with a few of our favorite pieces. We have also included a special sneak peak to Agustin Hadelich's new album, "Echoes of Paris"! We hope you enjoy the music. Everyone have a wonderful holiday and a fantastic New Year! Harry Christophers, The Sixteen "In Dulci Jubilo" from "A Traditional Christmas Carol Collection, Vol. II" (The Sixteen Productions Ltd.)    There is such an abundance of festive music available to us that sometimes one wishes Christmas did not come but once a year! The Sixteen’s first volume of traditional Christmas carols contains some of our most favorite pieces but there is so much more wonderful festive music that deserves to be better known. So we decided to make a second volume. On this disc you will discover familiar seasonal favorites such as ‘Unto us a boy is born’ and ‘It came upon the midnight clear’ but we have also included some less well-known gems like ‘Cherry Tree Carol’ and ‘Gloucestershire Wassail’.Woody Phillips "D

New World Records We will be featuring New World Records in today's episode. New World started in 1975; they were given a grant from the Rockefeller Foundation with a mandate to produce a 100-disc anthology of American music. New world continues to preserve neglected music of the past and support the creative future of American music with over 400 recordings, representing up to 700 American composers. Rick Benjamin from "Black Manhattan: Theater and Dance Music of James Reese Europe, Will Marion Cook, and Members of the Legendary Clef Club" (New World Records) Buy at iTunes Music Store More On This Album Theater and Dance Music of James Reese Europe, Will Marion Cook, and Member of the Legendary Clef Club The Paragon Ragtime Orchestra Rick Benjamin, director The Clef Club of New York City, Inc. was a fraternal and professional organization for the advancement of African-American musicians and entertainers; all of the composers on this recording were members or closely affiliated with the Club. The "Clef C

London Symphony Orchestra Today's episode will be a special feature on the London Symphony Orchestra, also known as LSO. LSO is widely regarded to be one of the world's leading orchestras, with over 100 years of performing experience. LSO has performed all across the world and even recorded soundtracks for films, such as Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith and Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire. In 2000, LSO launched their own classical label, LSO Live. Since then LSO Live has become one of the world's most talked about classical labels. Today we will be celebrating LSO Live's 10 year anniversary by playing samples from some of their best recordings and featuring a track from their newest release titled Verdi: Otello. Enjoy! video platform video management video solutions video player Sir Colin Davis, London Symphony Orchestra "Enigma Variations" from "Elgar: Enigma Variations" (LSO Live) Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at eMusic Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This Album During his time as Principal Conductor of the

harmonia mundi France harmonia mundi was born in 1958 in Paris. In 1986 the group moved to Arles France, where they are still headquartered today. This group has always been known for their support for independent artist and classical music. Additionally they have been growing recognition for various sections within the publishing business.Olga Kern "Piano Sonata No. 3, Op. 58" (mp3) from "Chopin: Piano Sonatas Nos. 2 & 3" (harmonia mundi) Buy at Napster Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This Album Frederic Chopin's Piano Sonatas No.2 ("Funeral March") and No.3 are the product of the composer's maturity and boundless invention. Here they receive incandescent performances by the 2001 Cliburn Competition gold medalist Olga Kern. Olga KernJavier Perianes, Javier Perianes (piano) "Sonata no.1 in C minor" (mp3) from "Blasco de Nebra: Piano Sonatas" (harmonia mundi) Buy at Napster Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This Album Javier Perianes invites us to discover the keyboard works of a composer

  More about Nocturnes Leon Bosch, Sung-Suk Kang "Nocturne" (mp3) from "Virtuoso Double Bass" (Meridian Records) Buy at iTunes Music Store More On This Album   The working relationship between Sung-Suk Kang and the distinguished double bass player Leon Bosch goes back to 1982, when both were students at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, UK. Sung-Suk accompanied Leon during lessons and at scholarship auditions. 'At the end of our courses of study,' Leon remembers, 'the RNCM principal, Sir John Manduell, invited us to play two pieces together in one of the so-called principal's concerts. These were showcase events in which his ‘prize students’ were afforded a platform to perform in front of an audience of many distinguished invited guests, as well as the public. Sung-Suk and I performed two pieces by the great double bass player Bottesini, the Capriccio di Bravura and Fantasy Sonnambula. 'I'll remember that 1984 concert forever, for Sung-Suk’s magical playing throughout. There was one exten

Maestro Classical Podcast 015: Composers in 2010 pt. 2 featuring Max Richter, Rachel Grimes and Quartet San Francisco Max Richter "infra 4" (mp3) from "Infra" (Fat Cat Records) More On This AlbumOriginally conceived as a Royal Ballet-commissioned collaboration between composer Max Richter, choreographer Wayne McGregor and artist Julian Opie, Max Richter's gorgeous score to 'infra' is deservedly given life of its own in this album-length release from FatCat's instrumental/orchestral imprint 130701 Records. The initial setting for 'infra' was as a ballet - written in autumn 2008 and premiered in November of the same year at The Royal Opera House in London – although here Richter’s score is given the full scope of a standalone new album. Expanded and extended from the original piece, 'infra' comprises music written for piano, electronics and string quintet, including the full performance score as well as material that has subsequently developed from the construction of the album – more a continued reference to

Today’s episode will be our first ever, solo focus feature on the San Francisco Symphony aka SFS. SFS has a long history of presenting world premieres and receiving various awards. They recently received 3 Grammy awards for an album we will play today for Best Classical Album, Best Engineered Classical Album, and Best Choral Performance. www.sfsymphony.org SFS The Black and White Ball SFS Season Schedule and Tickets San Francisco Symphony, Michael Tilson Thomas "Symphony No. 3 in E-Flat Major "Eroica", Op. 55" from "Beethoven: Symphony No. 3 "Eroica"" (San Francisco Symphony) Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at Rhapsody Stream from Rhapsody Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This AlbumAlbum Notes This album is the companion concert recording for Keeping Score, the San Francisco Symphony's multi-media project on PBS, national public radio, web sites and education. For more information visit www.keepingscore.org. San Francisco Symphony, Michael Tilson Thomas "Symphony No. 4 in F minor, Op. 36" from "Tchaikovsky: Sym